Myth #: No Odor No Mold
Wrong! Odor is one telltale indicator, but just because you cant smell mold doesnt mean its not there. Actual inspection is always best. If you dont smell mold but suspect there may be a problem, check likely areas first. If you know of any roofing or plumbing leaks, thats a good starting point. Bathrooms, basements, crawl spaces and sink cabinets are other likely areas.
Can I Remove Black Mold Myself
If the black mold growth in your home is small enough for you to treat alone, a simple mixture of bleach and water can help. Add one cup of bleach to one gallon of water and apply it to the moldy spots. Apply the cleaner to the mold spot and scrub away the growth. Be sure to dry the area thoroughly when youre done.
What Kind Of Vinegar Should You Use To Kill Mold
First, save the apple cider vinegar for salad dressing. To clean mold, use regular white distilled vinegar, typically sold with five percent acidity. You can also use cleaning vinegar with its six percent acidity. Both are effective at killing mold. Generic brands are as effective as name brands. Cleaning vinegar is sold online and at many home improvement, discount and grocery stores.
Don’t Miss: Can The Health Department Check For Mold
How To Keep Mold From Returning
No matter how diligent you are about removing visible mold, if you don’t address the underlying issue, it will come back. Where theres mold, theres moisture, says Larry Zarker, CEO of the Building Performance Institute, which trains and certifies professionals who specialize in creating healthy, safe and efficient homes. Here are some common mold hangouts in homes, along with ways to eliminate their moisture source.
When To Call For Professional Help
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends hiring a professional to clean mold in your home if the moldy area is larger than 10 square feet.
You should also hire a professional cleaner if you have mold in your air conditioning, heating, or ventilation systems.
If you have a known allergy to mold or if you have a health condition that might be aggravated by breathing in mold, you should avoid doing the cleanup yourself.
Also Check: How To Clean Walls With Mold
Watch For Further Growth
Doing DIY methods to get rid of mold growths can successfully keep it away, but more often than not, it will come back. Porous surfaces, including carpet, drywall, or wood could have hidden spores lurking in them, so its important to keep checking for it to come back. If it does come back, you may want to hire a professional to get rid of the source.
To help you handle small mold problems, you can download this handy graphic and put it on your fridge for quick reference!
How To Get Rid Of Mold With Baking Soda
Baking soda is mild, harmless to your family and pets, and is a natural and safe household cleaner. It can also kill mold. Baking soda and vinegar are typically used together when dealing with a mold problem since they kill different species of mold.
You May Like: What Gets Rid Of Mold In The Shower
What Is The Best Mold Killer For Grout
The best mold killer for grout is chlorine bleach. Simply mix one-part bleach and four parts water into a spray bottle and spray any affected area. Once you do that, the mold will wash away in seconds.
Dont want to mix or mess with chemicals? The Tilex Mold Remover Spray is a great alternative. It is designed to remove mold from tiles and the grout surrounding them. With the Tilex Spray, you can clean and disinfect the grout in one pass.
Dont see what youre looking for, or still have questions left unanswered?
We make the lives of landlords, tenants and real estate investors easier by giving them the knowledge and resources they care most about. Its about time the internet had a single place with all of the most up-to-date information from leading experts in property management, investing and real estate law.
Local Managers
Citrus Seed Extract And Water Mixture
The citrus seed extract is much preferred for cleaning molds because of its sweet smell.
Citrus fruits are natural deodorizers and great for giving the home an appealing fragrance. So besides helping you to get rid of tough olds, citrus seed will also lavish your space with amazing scents.
To get rid of molds with citrus seed extract, combine about 20 drops of citrus seed extract and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle and mix thoroughly.
Then spray directly on the moldy area. Unlike cleaning molds with hydrogen peroxide or baking soda, leave the citrus solution on the mold without rinsing. You can repeat the process as many times as you like until the area is free from molds and stains.
Don’t Miss: How To Clean Clothes Exposed To Mold Spores
When To Call In A Professional
If these methods dont workor you experience a moldy area larger than 10 square feetyou may want to call in a mold remediation expert. Look for specialists who have proper accreditation and refrain from pitching you their products. A trustworthy professional will investigate the toxic mold before doing any extensive treatment and will follow-up with a mold removal plan. The professional should be able to explain the source of the mold and go over any necessary procedures to keep it from coming back.
Consider a sewer line warranty or a home warranty from a reputable provider like Select Home Warranty to keep your home moisture-free.
While mold remediation tends to be pricey, the earlier you catch it, the cheaper the removal process will be. Simple black mold removal can run as little as $500, while extensive mold remediation can cost upward of $6,000.
How To Clean Black Mold In The Refrigerator
The first thing to do if you discover mold in your refrigerator is to remove any obviously rotting foods and uncovered foods and leftovers that could be harboring mold spores. Throw this food away and remove it from your house.
Now, remove the remaining food, beverages and condiments from your fridge and put them in a cooler while you clean. Remove the shelves and drawers, if possible, to have better access to clean the inside walls of the refridgerator.
To properly kill the mold, you need a cleaning solution that disinfects and has the ability to kill mold. An excellent all around mold killer and disinfectant is RMR-141. Baking soda or vinegar with warm water also works well. Not all cleaning products will. Since you are cleaning non-porous surfaces, you can also try a diluted bleach solution . Spray your cleaning solution on the refrigerator surfaces and allow it to sit for a minute or two. Scrub it with a rag, and then wipe again with a clean damp cloth. Finally, dry the surface with a clean dry cloth or paper towel. Repeat if needed. Be sure to carefully dispose of any paper towels you use and launder any cloths that come into contact with mold in hot water and detergent.
Whenever youre cleaning with strong chemicals or bleach, wear gloves to protect your skin. If you are sensitive to mold or have allergies or asthma, you may want to wear a mask as well.
Read Also: Can You Clean Black Mold With Bleach
Treat With Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is less harsh and produces fewer fumes than chlorine bleach, but it works more slowly. Be sure the bottle of hydrogen peroxide is fresh , or it will not be effective. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down quickly in sunlight.
Hydrogen peroxide does not need to be diluted for cleaning areas of mold. Pour fresh hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle and spray it directly onto the moldy surfaces. It should begin to bubble or fizz. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes or until the fizzing stops. Use a scrub brush, sponge, or cloth to wipe away the mold. Repeat if needed.
Black Mold Removal And Cleaning
Mold remediation in stores, offices, or schools is best left to professionals. This also applies to household mold exceeding 10 square feet.
The contractors you choose should have insurance and licenses from organizations like the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification .
Homeowners can handle cleaning about 10 square feet of black mold on their own.3 If the patch is small enough, a combination of bleach, water, scrubbing, and ventilation should do the trick.
Before treating mold on your own, prioritize ventilation and protective gear.
Removing black mold is a tough and dirty job. If you or anyone in your family is sensitive to mold allergies, has respiratory or immune issues, trust the professionals.
Find a contractor in your area to get started.
Don’t Miss: What Are The Effects Of Breathing In Mold
Prepare Your Room And Clean The Walls
Once youre ready to start removing the mold from the walls, clear the area. Ensure that you remove any furniture, fabrics, and electrical equipment from the affected area. Then, cover the floor with plastic sheets for protection.
Next, use a damp sponge with dishwashing liquid and clean the affected area to remove any dirt.
We recommend that before you cleaning or treating the wall with any product, you put on protective gear. Safety glasses, rubber gloves, and a mask will protect you from exposure to the mold. You should also ensure that you open windows and doors while youre removing the mold.
Recommended Reading: How To Clean Mold Off Bathroom Ceiling
How To Clean Mold From Wood
Mold loves wooden surfaces. Whether its your window sills, flooring, wall framing, or furniture, the high cellulose content of wood provides mold with lots of food. Because wood is also very absorbent, its easy to create a perfect environment for mold with very little moisture. If you do find mold growing on wood in your house, heres how to get rid of it.
Youll need:
100-grit sandpaper
Method:
Step 1: Begin by vacuuming up as much of the mold as possible using a vacuum with a HEPA filter. You can also use a soft-bristled brush to dislodge the mold and make this easier. Remember to wear a dust mask to prevent breathing in mold spores while you do this.
Step 2: Add a teaspoon of soap to two cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake to combine and spray the mold and surrounding surface.
Step 3: Use a soft-bristled brush to scrub away the mold and mildew. Use paper towels to soak up any excess water.
Step 4: To kill the roots, add 1 tablespoon of borax to a cup of water and use a soft-bristled brush to apply the solution to the area. Allow it to absorb into the wood.
Step 5: Run a fan or dehumidifier in the room to quickly dry the wood.
Step 6: If the mold is very stubborn, use 100-grit sandpaper to remove the affected area.
Pro Tip: Is the wood still stained? This is usually a result of mildew the discoloration mold leaves behind. While bleach doesnt kill mildew, it can help remove the stains. Try scrubbing a small area with a dilute bleach solution.
Read Also: Can Mold Spread From One Condo To Another
Recommended Black Mold Remover Products
We recommend using anantimicrobial product like Foster 40-80 to kill black mold. Ordinary householdcleaners usually wont do the job adequately. Some people use a mixture ofbleach and water, but the Environmental Protection Agency says that bleach is not effective on porous surfaces. Bleach may damage some types of surfaces, as well. Read the instructions on the package about how to kill blackmold and follow all instructions carefully for best results. Make sure tofollow all safety precautions outlined on the package, as well. Here is a comparison of products to use to kill mold.
The Tea Tree Oil Solution
Tea tree oil can be used to not only keep spiders away but also to eradicate black mold naturally. The natural fungicide doubles as cleaning product with the strength to prevent those ugly mold spores from coming back.
To use it, combine 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil to 1 cup of water and increase the quantity ratio from there. Shake it up and pour it into a spray bottle so you can maximize coverage. Once applied to the moldy area, leave it to dry for an hour, and then wipe away the oil with a microfiber cloth or dry towel. Before you start this process, be sure to to put on protective gloves even though the tea tree oil is a natural solution, it can still irritate your skin.
You May Like: How Much Bleach And Water To Kill Mold
How To Kill Black Mold
This article was co-authored by Mike Kapur. Mike Kapur is a home inspector and the owner of Sonic Home Inspections, a home inspection company in Westchester, New York. With over 15 years of experience in pre-inspecting properties, Mike specializes in mold, radon, asbestos, lead, water, and air quality testing as well as hazardous materials, pest, infrared, and general home inspections. Prior to founding Sonic Home Inspections, Mike worked pre-inspecting apartments. Mike holds a BS in Accounting from Queens College and is a Certified Mold Assessor in the state of New York.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 22 testimonials and 82% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,294,781 times.
Where Not To Use Hydrogen Peroxide To Remove Mold And Mildew
As we mentioned, hydrogen peroxide is unlikely to inhibit mold growth on porous surfaces like fabrics and wood. If you notice mold on bath rugs, wooden walls, or other porous surfaces, the object or surface will need to be safely discarded according to your local disposal rules.
Hydrogen peroxide has the potential to bleach some types of natural fabrics like wool.
Hydrogen peroxide is generally safe on solid surfaces and even most synthetic fabrics. To avoid accidental bleaching, make sure to clean off all the hydrogen peroxide once you finish cleaning the mold.
When cleaning mold in your home, its a good idea to wear protective gloves, goggles, and a mask to prevent coming into contact with mold spores.
Heres how you can clean mold from solid surfaces using hydrogen peroxide:
Hydrogen peroxide is just one of many household ingredients you can use to clean mold. Using vinegar is another effective way to clean mold in your home.
However, its important not to mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar together.
Also Check: Where To Find Popsicle Molds In Walmart
What Is The Best Mold And Mildew Remover
Distilled white vinegar is the best mold and mildew remover. Vinegar not only kills the mold on the surface, but the mold underneath the fabric, wall, etc.
If youd prefer an easy, made-for-you solution, the RMR-86 Instant Mold and Mildew Remover works wonders, killing mold and mildew within 15 seconds of being sprayed onto the target area.
Chemicals To Kill Mold
There are several types of antimicrobials that are designed to kill mold. All you have to do is spray them on, wait several minutes, and the mold colonies will die and can no longer reproduce and multiply.
A popular chemical for killing mold is Concrobium Mold Control, which can be bought at big-box hardware stores. Its used by both pros and homeowners. We have used it and have found it to be effective.
Hydrogen peroxide-based mold killers are also very effective. These types of cleaning agents usually say Mold Stain Remover Does Not Contain Bleach on the label. We like these because they cause the mold to bubble and fizz which is very cool to see . Whats also nice about hydrogen peroxide-based chemicals is that their fumes are simply pure oxygen, which has an interesting and refreshing scent.
Both Concrobium Mold Control and hydrogen peroxide-bases agents remove mold with a high kill rate. That is, they are highly effective at killing active mold growth. Unfortunately, even though these cleaning agents kill mold, they leave dark, ugly mold stains behind. Even the hydrogen peroxide-based cleaning agents, that advertise that they remove stains, still leave plenty of stains behind. Seeing the mold stains left behind after youve treated and scrubbed your mold is not very satisfying and is therefore, the reason why we recommend bleach-based cleaning agents.
Bleach-Based Cleaning Agents: Killing Mold & Effectively Removing Mold Stains
Recommended Reading: What Does Mold Do To Your Lungs
Can Vinegar Kill Mildew
Yes, vinegar can kill mildew. Along with being able to kill mold, distilled white vinegar can also kill mildew. If the mildew is just starting to grow and theres not much there, you can dilute the vinegar with water and rub it into the mildew.
If your mildew problem has grown, feel free to use the vinegar without any dilution. But yes, distilled white vinegar can kill mildew just as easily as mold.
